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Anti-Climactic Wisdom in Super Sons 9

by Michael DeLaney

This article contains SPOILERS. If you haven’t read the issue yet, proceed at your own risk!

Superman is super not because of his laser eyes, his mighty pecks or his punchy fists. Superman is super because of his good heart. The best use of this heart? Super speeches. In Super Sons 9, Superboy follows in his father’s footsteps.

“Planet of the Capes” reaches its conclusion as the living planet Ygarddis tries to crush our young heroes and retake his magical clay. In an attempt to rally the troops, Jon lends some good ‘ol Kent wisdom.

Jon is directing this small town lesson in humility to Big Shot and Hard Line, but the message hits the hardest with one of the villains of the arc: Kraklow. Kraklow is the small-time bad guy who just wants to make leave his mark on the world, but he’s not very good at it. Because of Jon’s words, Kraklow has changed his perspective from “every man for himself” to “work together as one.”

I like that Pete Tomasi uses Jon’s hero status as a point of inspiration — even Damian is impressed. However, Super Sons 9 seems like a strange capper to the “Planet of the Capes” arc. Tomasi presented us with this weird world of magic clay and living planets and transports Jon and Damian back to their home with little resolution.

True, Ygarddis is temporarily banished and Kraklow is going to make a bunch of heroes for when he returns. But it feels a bit anticlimactic, as if Tomasi got bored with the story or has a better idea that he wants to explore next issue. If nothing else, I’m glad that Jon is learning to be a hero of inspiration like his old man.

The conversation doesn’t stop there. What do you wanna talk about from this issue?